


King of Ruins

by tdctracy



Category: TOMORROW X TOGETHER | TXT (Korea Band)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Tragedy, Character Death, Childhood, Dragons, Dragonshifter Yeonjun, F/M, Fairy Tale Elements, Fairy Tale Retellings, Fantasy, Heavy Angst, Knights - Freeform, M/M, Magic, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Prequel, Prince Soobin, Princes, Royalty, Sad Ending, Strangers, Unhappy Ending, tangled elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-15
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-23 20:14:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30060933
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tdctracy/pseuds/tdctracy
Summary: This was how the world began.Soobin remembers the fire, the searing heat of the burn, and the gentle caresses of each lick of flame on his skin, but he could never forget how that fire slowly disappeared, and eventually, how it died out.In the blink of the night, Soobin was met with the greenest eyes he had ever seen. They seemed almost otherworldly in their intensity, and no less beautiful for it - and in that split second, it suddenly disappeared from the dark.Standing up slowly, he went into the black, and there he met his fate.In which Prince Soobin finds out three things after waking up. First, he survived the fire. Second, he was locked up in a castle. Third, there was a dragon lurking in the shadows in front of him.
Relationships: Choi Soobin/Choi Yeonjun
Comments: 1
Kudos: 16





	King of Ruins

**Author's Note:**

> If anyone wants to make a fan art for this story, feel free to message me and let me know! We'll collab and embed your art here and tag you!
> 
> [my twitter ](https://twitter.com/tdctracy?s=09)

⚜

  
  


This was how the world began.

Soobin remembers the fire, the searing heat of the burn, and the gentle caresses of the flame licking over his skin, but he could never forget how that fire slowly disappeared, and eventually, how it died out. 

He could smell white lilies burning. 

He could smell them burning down into ashes, and most of all, he could smell death.

When he opened his eyes, he had found himself lying on cobblestone. He could feel the cold washing over his face, wicking away into his gently chattering teeth and his purple lips had already tinged with blue. How he came to be here — he could remember none. Soobin had found himself in the darkness, with only a single lantern beside him to keep him from succumbing to its hallows.

It looked like he was inside of a dungeon from the flicker of light to help him see where he was going as he blindly crawled in the darkness. In the blink of the night, Soobin was met with the greenest eyes he had ever seen. They seemed almost otherworldly in their intensity, and no less beautiful for it, and in that split second, it suddenly disappeared from the dark.

Standing up slowly, he held his hand in front of him, carefully taking a step forward as he went into the black, and there... he met his fate.

Its eyes gleamed like jade and its scales burned red as pits of fire. Charred bones were scattered at its feet, scorched and splintered and sullied from the gnashes of its fangs. The dungeon had immediately turned hot as the creature brought itself into the ebbing light, towering over him from where he stood.

Soobin took a step back.

It was a dragon. 

Soobin was... fascinated. He knew none of the prerequisites of fear as he went near the creature, gently holding out his hand, as if he had already seen one, as if he had been born to meet one. The dragon growled every time he stepped closer, from where orange embers glowed from its mouth, threatening and torrid.

“I am not afraid of you.” Soobin whispered quietly, holding out his hand closer to its horns as he neared it.

The firedrake, in its hesitance, gently lets its head touch his palm. Soobin caresses the skin on the dragon's neck, fleeting his fingers against his still-soft scales as he breathes in the world. 

Soobin couldn’t hear himself holding his breath as he was struck in spellbinding awe when the scales of the dragon slowly faded under his grasp and turned into the color of flesh. 

Soobin gasped and stumbled backwards. He studied the transformation. His eyes never left the dragon’s form as its tail looped around its legs and torso until it melted into a long black cloak that casted the shadow of a man.

He was so beautiful.

“You are human.” Soobin sputtered in awe. He certainly looked… human except for his crimson hair and green eyes. He was still young, almost the same age as him. The shifter still had scales left on his skin, almost ingrained in him, it glowed red as the fire he emanated and the vibrance of his green eyes never faded.

_They do exist._

“Certainly, I am.” 

He spoke like there were flames flickering in his throat — low, coarse and powerful. Then, he kneeled to his feet. 

"Who are you?" asked Soobin.

"You may call me Yeonjun, Your Highness.” said the dragon as he bowed, never meeting the human’s eyes, “I am a knight sworn to protect you."

Soobin’s head turned in confusion, “Y-your Highness?” 

"You are the first prince of Esliviria.” He muttered under his breath, with his head lowered. “The sole heir left to the throne." 

"I’m a prince?" Soobin repeated, whispering it back as if he was revealing a life and death secret that must be kept and hidden forever. He couldn’t… grasp anything. 

Yeonjun nodded.

"I can't remember anything." Soobin said thoughtlessly. He could feel Yeonjun’s hesitance scalding on the underside of his scales as he could only look away. Soobin narrowed his eyes, “What is my purpose here? Where am I?”

"That I cannot say."

“Why not?” Soobin said, each word dripping in doubt, but Yeonjun only fell into silence. 

"Why do you keep me here?" Soobin pushed even further for him to talk, unable to think logically. He was already ruled over by his emotions - the swelling of fear, confusion, and most of all, dread. The questions he had no answers for kept on piling itself on his words. His own voice, desperate and pleading, were almost echoing at the back of his mind with no one there to hear him. "Why don’t I remember anything?” 

"I mustn't tell you. Not now." Yeonjun blinked, then cleared his throat apologetically, "I promised."

"Promised what?"

"I'm sorry."

⚜

It had been ten years since then. 

Soobin blinked as the memory dissipated into nothingness. He could not remember anything that happened before the night he found himself inside the dungeon. 

Who would've known he was a prince? 

Soobin leaned back in frustration as he tried to figure out the missing pieces together. He only reasoned that he must have been sent into banishment to this castle. He had never left the castle's walls and probably never would. So, he grew up believing that freedom was only a matter of courage out of the fairytale he had read.

The castle was perched behind shadows, and it would seem to vanish with the starry sky, making it impossible to be found. Even with its high turrets and towers, there would be no one there to find it as it was hidden away in secrecy.

Soobin was trapped in there, and the only way out of the tower was through the drawbridge of the large chamberhall downstairs which he could not possibly lower by himself. The bridgeroom was always locked and the long cavernous hall was entirely vaulted shut. The dragon would even tell him that it was pointless to escape since he could smell him even from a distance if he tried to run away.

Soobin sighed.

He should be angry at the dragon for confining him there all through his childhood, but he couldn’t bring himself to. He was always alone in that castle, but he admits to himself that there was almost never a time where he had felt lonely. He knew that the dragon was always there with him, and that feeling would never be lost.

Though years had already passed, he always sensed the dragon’s shadow, and above everything else, he could feel his heat.

And everytime Yeonjun was gone, the heat would disappear and everything around him would be cold.

Soobin had grown up in that castle, always by himself at the top of the highest tower. Yeonjun does not speak to him that much as he was always furled in the dungeons below. Sometimes, Yeonjun, in his dragon form, would sleep in Soobin's bedchambers, near to his dragonpit, to lull him to sleep whenever he had woken up from his recurring nightmares.

Soon, years passed, and Soobin was to be of age in just a matter of months. He always anticipated for his birthday to come since he would try to ask Yeonjun to go outdoors. Soobin had longed to touch the outside world. Yeonjun had never granted him his wish, but Soobin never missed a year asking, and today was no different.

"Yeonjun?" 

The firebreather was in the room with him, lying by the burning coal of his dragonpit, observing Soobin quietly.

"It is my eighteenth birthday soon. Surely, you could take me outside by then."

The dragon got out of the firepit and straightened, a man once more. He was only standing there, silent.

"Why am I trapped in here anyways?" Soobin gulped. "You've been putting me in the dark for all these years. At the very least, you owe me an explanation."

Soobin stood up and walked towards the balcony, waiting for an answer, but it did not come. Sighing, he stared out from spire, surrounded by the void. His eyes wandered to the wildflower of white lilies in the gardens below.

When next he spoke, the prince could scarcely believe his choice of words, his voice heavy, “I wonder if they’re searching for me.”

“Shall we call it a day?” said Yeonjun. It was not a question, but an order, and Soobin was far too distraught to ask him again with resolve. When he turned back, the dragon was gone.

⚜

“Yeonjun?” 

Soobin was combing his hair by his bedstand when he heard footsteps echo from the hall. Yeonjun ought to be by his bedchambers at this time of night, but he was going out - where could he be going off to? Soobin took his cloak and followed suit. He tailed Yeonjun in secret down the stairwell, curious as to where he was going as he kept his face hidden under his dark-hooded cloak.

Soobin trudged down to the foyer silently behind him and hid. The portcullis of the drawbridge came into sight as it came to lower. He watched as Yeonjun entered the bridgeroom to open the gate and this was when he realized that with each passing year, Yeonjun would leave the castle by this time; where he went - he knew of none.

"You can come out now." Yeonjun suddenly said, startling Soobin from his hiding place. He was not exactly quiet.

"Where are you headed?" Soobin questioned, to which Yeonjun did not answer, only staring at him from the other side of the gate. Soobin ushered forwards to the portcullis that had already descended. He wanted to know where he was going. He wanted to know what he was hiding from him and what this secrecy entailed for him. He just wanted to leave too. His next request was daring, as he gripped tightly on the iron bars, pleading, "You have to take me." 

"I must bid my leave now. I will be back before nightfall." Yeonjun dismissed him. He lowered his head, dry-eyed, and left the castle.

It began to rise a fortnight later when Soobin saw him again.

Soobin lifted his eyes from the chessboard he was playing with by himself when he heard a rustling behind him. It was Yeonjun in his dragon form, curling to himself at the other end of the chambers, staring back at Soobin as if he had something to say, but Soobin only turned away. 

Yeonjun had only come back from his journey weeks ago even though he said he would be back before sundown, but he did so otherwise. The young prince was not acknowledging his presence. He was surely mad, but the drake could only sit still and flare his nostrils in annoyance so as to not utter a word. Yeonjun leaned sullenly against the castle wall as smoke kept furling out of his snout. The stubs of his horns were protruding from his head, unable to hide his vexation.

Soobin did not mind him. He was deep in thought, sighing deeply. He only lifted the silence when he looked back at Yeonjun. His voice was weak, almost broken, as he tried again. “Why are you keeping me away in this tower?”

Yeonjun frowned in thought.

"It's been years." Soobin peered, "I can't be trapped in here forever."

Again, silence. 

Yeonjun didn't respond to him. He just curled back his tail, covering half of his body with his wings, not wanting to look at the young prince. A couple of sparks flew out of his snout when he breathed.

He was quiet, he always was. 

"There is nearly a week left before I turn eighteen,” Soobin said, even with the words that sounded light from him, as it might seem, could have only come out of desperation. “I can hardly remain in hiding on this tower all this time."

Yeonjun sighed. 

Soobin _just_ couldn't go. 

He was supposed to protect him, but Soobin wouldn’t stay silent if he did not give him what he wanted. 

“I am weakest in my human form.” Yeonjun pointed out, sighing in defeat, “I am not allowed to take you outside, especially when I am unable to protect you, and risking to reveal my true form to man is precarious.”

“The dragons…” Soobin realized. “The dragons are being hunted down.” 

Yeonjun looked hesitant. He was not supposed to be telling him this. “Yes.”

"I don't understand– why?"

“After the current king was crowned, he had rid the world of magic by the most mundane, and only did men hunt down my kind, one by one until none were left. We were thought to have been lost forever. Everywhere we go, once we step foot outside, I will only be willingly bringing you in peril.” said Yeonjun in a hushed whisper, the pitfalls of pain evident on his face.

"We just need to leave in disguise then!"

"I just simply cannot risk your person, Your Highness."

⚜

Soobin was back at it again. He was too audacious for his own good, almost foolhardy too. 

He was standing over the ledge, half pressed against the windowsill, reaching his hand out to pluck out the white lily that grew on the stalk.

His hand was holding the wooden frame of the window, creaking eerily as the shifting shadows along the bedroom wall moved through the night.

"Your Highness, it's not safe." Yeonjun whispered, carefully taking a few steps towards him, reaching out a hand. "Come back down now.”

Soobin digressed, his fingers almost reaching the flower, when –

Suddenly, Soobin’s hand slipped from the frame, quickly losing balance from the ledge. Yeonjun’s stomach lurched with panic as the prince fell.

Yeonjun ran after him, immediately morphing into his dragon form. He dived through the bleak night, and it was if the world had turned into slow motion. Through the darkness, Yeonjun could see his falling body, slowly and slowly, as their eyes met. Soobin was screaming, his eyes pleading with desperation, his lungs were hurting from all the yelling. 

Yeonjun swept even faster through the air, and immediately, he caught the prince with his talons seconds before he fell to his death. 

“Your Highness! Are you alright?” Yeonjun asked hurriedly, fear washing over his face, and then gently laying Soobin down to the cobblestone ground. Yeonjun was in such a state of delirium that he didn’t notice he was hissing.

Soobin got a glance of his big and sharp teeth which immediately scared him. Yeonjun could see the fear in his eyes. He slowly backed away as he felt like his entire world had broken apart. 

At the prince’s scent, Yeonjun was growing angrier and angrier at himself for scaring him, for not being able to protect him.

Then, a stench suddenly hit his nose – blood. 

“You’re hurt.” Yeonjun muttered. Then, the realization slowly beguiled on him, bewitching himself into bereavement and anger.

He had scratched him.

He scratched him right across his arm from his talons. Yeonjun himself had actually hurt his prince.

Soobin was completely crumpled to himself, holding his arms around his knees tightly, still trembling in fear.

Yeonjun did not know whether to move away from him or come nearer to comfort him. He did not dare to grab him with his talons again so as to not hurt him. He did not even dare to move his tail or change back into his weaker form. 

He grew angrier at himself, undeciding of what to do. 

Yeonjun slowly walked away from the prince, and lowered his head. 

He kept silent. He was scared to mutter a word, but he wanted the prince to climb on his head and hold onto his horns so that he could return them back to the tower for now.

Soobin looked up at him. He was still frightful, his face was straining as he tried to grasp everything around him, the scratches on his bare feet, the blood spattering down his arms, and the fact that he had just almost died.

He understood that the dragon wanted him to climb onto his back, but at this moment, he felt like he could barely stand on his feet anymore. He was breathing uneasily staring at the dragon, almost giving up as he buried his head back to himself.

The dragon whimpered, lowering his head more.

Soobin forced himself to stand up, fingers pricking in pain as he clutched his arm. He climbed on top of him, weak and mumbling, as the dragon began its ascent. 

The dragon gently landed on the balcony, letting the prince climb down his back and into the tower. Yeonjun slowly back transformed back into his human form. Soobin, however, was not looking at him.

“I’m sorry.”

Without a word, Soobin turned his back and returned to his room. He tossed himself on his bed, crying heavily into his pillow where the tears had already ran down his cheeks. 

Seconds later, he heard the door creaking open behind him.

“Leave me.” He croaked pitifully. Yeonjun felt it around him, even with his presence, the air had turned cold. 

“Your Highness..”

Yeonjun could feel the prince shivering. He guessed it was as much to do with the cold night as it was him being terrified. Soobin wanted to curse him, to never see him again, to never be anywhere on this tower. He found himself wishing for someone to come and take him away. But in the end, he had only fallen into despair. Soobin let his harsh gasps slowly pass before he looked up at the dragon with a glare.

“I thought..” His voice trailed off, but he couldn’t stop the gasps he was letting out of his constricting throat. He was sobbing uncontrollably, every bit as hysterical. “I thought that was the end of me.”

Through the silence, Yeonjun winced when he saw Soobin staring right at his eyes.

“I remembered something...” Soobin shot up, his voice weak, almost a breath lost. “I could remember flames.” He said, eyes widening in fear, “There was a palace burning, and the fire swirled right into the night.”

“That’s..”

“I need to know where I came from.” Soobin demanded. 

Yeonjun cowered into himself. He stood up, murmuring something to himself. 

“Where are you going?” Soobin pleaded, “You have to tell me. Please!”

Soobin was begging, but he could only watch as Yeonjun left the room. 

Groaning, he ran his way outside his door, pressing his body up against the frame to see Yeonjun’s figure round the last curve of the stairwell. Soobin wanted to call out to him. He wanted him to tell him everything. He wanted to tell him that he desperately wanted to go outside.

He wanted to know the truth.

And then, Yeonjun’s figure holding the lantern rounded the last corner, disappearing from his sight, and Soobin took a step back from the door with a violent shout.

⚜

Yeonjun, in his dragon form, was resting by the pits, thinking silently to himself. It had been days since they had last spoken to each other. It had been days since Soobin told him about the memories that he saw. His thoughts were torn down when he heard Soobin sigh. The prince sat by the windowsill, staring at the bed of white lilies below and most of all, beyond it. He was turning eighteen the day after tomorrow.

Soobin knew he shouldn't anger the dragon, but the pain in his heart bled none of his desires.

Soobin wanted to go out there — to the place beyond, to go back to where he belonged. 

When night fell, the drake heard Soobin crying. Yeonjun bid his pause for a second, his eyes betraying a hint of regret for the first time since all of this began.

The dragon silently made his way into their nest. Soobin was sniffing his whimpers silently. Slowly, he laid his head by Soobin, letting his tail coil around his back. He could remember the time when they were like this during their childhood. Even when it was seldom, Yeonjun could remember every single second of it.

Soobin scooted closer beside him, his fingers smoothing down the soft scales of the serpent.

The dragon huffed contentedly, and the tip of his tail carded through Soobin's hair. Its entire form shuddered as scales gave way to patchy skin, their colour fading in undulating waves.

Yeonjun nudged his head on the prince’s hair. Soobin smiled, clasping his fingers on his horns, and laid his forehead there, whispering his good night to his ears.

Yeonjun could feel the wavelengths of worry emanating from his skin, and he could feel his disquiet – the heavy in Soobin's heart and how dark his eyes were. 

“We’re..” Yeonjun had sworn to never break his oath, and he knew it, yet without a pause, he told him: "We're going outside."

Soobin's head perked up from his words and his eyes glimmered in hope, "Tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow."

Soobin gave him a smile, tears already falling down his cheeks.

  
  


⚜

Yeonjun awoke to the loud clunking and clinking noises coming from outside the bedchamber. Soobin was not by his side on the nest. He must have clambered up to the shaft in a hurry once he had awakened. He was going outside for the first time in years after all.

Soobin's head popped out from behind the door in sheer excitement, already dressed, "You're awake!"

The red dragon chuckled, and transformed back into his human form to get ready. 

Soobin was shuffling his feet in joy as Yeonjun opened the gates. Soobin ran towards the meadow, jumping freely as he felt the wands of white lilies under his fingers and breathed in the earth. 

It smelled of disfamiliarity and unexplored worlds like he always dreamed they would be, and every fleeting moment was made just for him to be here. He could breathe and breathe everything in and he wouldn't get tired of it.

"Come now." Yeonjun hummed, gesturing to him to keep his head low.

Soobin pulled back his hood to obscure his face, and looked back at the giant black tall phallic castle behind him as he smiled silently to himself, and he made his way.

After a day's walk, the both of them arrived at the town of Aeredith by sundown.

Beneath the cloud coddled skies, they began seeing the white turrets from a distance away. Then, they saw the spires of the small castle, down to the slum houses, and finally to the sea.

The small town was bustling in festivities as the skirling of flutes and the thrumming of drums filled the air. The townspeople, bedecked in scarlet ceremonial robes, were everywhere. They both sprang along the tight streets, passing through wizened shops and market stands. Soobin would exclaim at every sight he had seen. Canary lanterns, painted with flames, were hung everywhere, lighting the dark sky. 

Soobin could feel it burning through him, flowing out of him, and becoming a part of the night. 

Out of nowhere, his wrist was suddenly pulled down, and he stared at whomever grabbed him. 

It was an old hag, cloaked down to hide her face where white ran from her temples to tangle with black, and creases were already threading through her toad skin. 

"You need to be careful, young man." She whispered hastily to him.

“What?”Soobin looked at her, perplexed, and she was looking around to see if somebody was staring at them, and her gaze fell over Yeonjun, whose back was face a few feet away from them, and from her lips, she hissed foreboding warn. 

"You are accompanying death." She spat, her eyes bulging, before she let him go and disappeared into the crowd.

“No— wait!”

And then, as soon as she appeared, she was gone. 

Soobin followed after where she went, but he couldn't find her no matter where he looked. It was as if he had just seen a ghost. He curbed into himself with unease, his teeth chattering nervously.

Death. 

What did she mean by death? 

Soobin bit his nails in worry, and he only looked up from his daze when Yeonjun called him.

"I'm coming!"

It took him long before he had forgotten about the encounter and let his thoughts wander to the sight before him instead.

Soon, they reached the edge of town where red streamers crisscrossed the entire harbor as drum percussion filled the deck. Yeonjun pulled him in to dance, and Soobin's doubts disappeared almost immediately. Soobin held on to his shoulder hesitantly but Yeonjun led the dance gracefully despite his missteps. It felt like they had been dancing for an eternity, and soon, the minutes turned into hours. 

Silently, Yeonjun held his hand, letting him follow and they left the harbor.

“Where are you taking me?” Soobin laughed airily.

"You'll see."

Through the night, Yeonjun brought him down far away from the harbor and into the seaside. There was a boat waiting for them on the deck.

Soobin sat down on the boat’s front bench as Yeonjun took a seat behind him, picking up the paddle and rowing them away from the dock. They reached the middle of the sea, surrounded by the emerald-green water, hidden from mortal eyes.

Soobin was silent, looking up at the darkening sky in wonder. 

Yeonjun reached out for his hand, and stayed there. The moment passed and he released his hold on him, looking away.

“You’re being odd today.” Soobin said, amused. 

"This is for you," Yeonjun took out a floating lantern he was hiding beneath the boat and the firedrake greeted him.

Soobin took the lantern from his hand and Yeonjun handed him a match. Soobin struck it against the boat, lighting the small candlelight before gently pushing it into the air. 

Soobin’s eyes never left the lantern as it spiraled into the cold air and against the constellations, and then, he gasped. The single flying lantern in the night was then followed by trickling lights, and soon the night had burned bright.

There were other lanterns. They were all coming from the harbor and a crowd came to gather to wonder at its spectacle.

Soon, flocks of glowing lights flew into the air and into the ocean sky as the clouds of light casted a soft glow on the city, and Soobin could only stare in awe.

“It’s beautiful.” He whispered, at a loss for what to say, reaching for a lantern with an orange-glow that came about near their boat.

“You’re beautiful.” Yeonjun whispered back inwardly to himself, looking back at Soobin if he had heard it. Yeonjun bit his lips hesitantly. He gently brushes the hair from Soobin’s face, tucking it behind his ear. Yeonjun could see the prince in him, as if there was a crown perched above his head as the canary glow of the lights casted down on him. 

He looked so beautiful.

He always was.

The minutes passed, and even more lanterns flew into the air, dotting the starry night, then spiraling and casting their ebbing fuse as they landed into the sea.

Soobin looked at Yeonjun from where green firelight glimmered in his eyes. He was smiling childishly. Suddenly, Yeonjun leapt from the boat and disappeared into the water.

“Yeonjun!” Soobin called out into the sea, and out of nowhere, his dragon flew to the air, transformed by the touch of his magic.

Yeonjun spiraled into the darkness above. Soobin looked up and exclaimed. He could barely see his shadow in the darkness. Yeonjun glided through the calm sea, lightly touching the gentle waves before flying next to the boat, as if inviting Soobin to ride with him. 

Hesitantly, Soobin stepped onto his back.

“They’re going to see you!” He whispered quietly to him.

Soobin tried to balance himself after he had ridden on his shoulder, his tail coiled round his arm, and Yeonjun took flight.

They soared through the clouds, sweeping past white lines and under pale soliloquy. Soobin, daring, slowly stood up as he balanced himself on his back. He could feel the wind brushing against his face, the sky melding into his skin as his arms were outstretched before him. There it was — freedom.

The breath of courage he was desperate to take.

Soobin looked down at the sea below him, even in the black of night, Soobin could see his winged shadow on the clouds. 

He was there on top of the world, like he was flying into forever.

Moments later, Yeonjun descended and let him climb back down to the boat. He was barely out of the water when he transformed back into a human again, chuckling lightly from the feeling.

“That..” Soobin started breathlessly, “That was amazing.”

Yeonjun smiled at him, unsure of what to say.

“Thank you.”

Nodding,Yeonjun started rowing back to the shore. Once he reached the deck, he anchored the boat and got out, looking at Soobin who was still in awe. He walked up to him and gently placed his fingers on his waist and lifted him up, swinging him around.

Soobin laughed with a note of exultation like a blackbird's call, as he balanced himself on his hold, twirling together until they fell lightly on top of each other.

The darkening sky was already pressing down on them. It was time for them to go home. They wandered back to the castle through the path they took in the forest. 

On the way, Soobin was humming beautifully, but he stopped on his tracks when he noticed Yeonjun beside him, growling. His glaring stare was set in stone at something behind them.

"Dragon?"

Yeonjun hissed, the scales on his neck ebbing into a darker shade of red, rattling as he could feel the distress emanating from where he stood. The desperation in the way he casted his eyes about the forest was almost left undisguised, as though looking for escape.

"Stand back." Yeonjun snarled. He could trickle out a distinct smell — faint, masked — but it was there.

There was somebody watching them.

Yeonjun took a step backward, holding a protective hand over the prince, slowly nearing him to shield him from the threat of danger.

"Dragon?" Soobin repeated, confused. They suddenly heard rustling of leaves, half obscured by a shroud of thin cloud in the bushes, and then suddenly, there was a flicker of movement.

The next thing Yeonjun knew, an arrow struck right across his face, barely missing his cheek when he evaded just in time because of his instincts, but he could not escape another arrow that shot through his shoulders as he shielded himself to protect Soobin. In the brief reprieve that he was granted, Yeonjun was up in that moment and darted towards the bushes, breathing heavily but when he rounded up behind it, there was nobody there.

Yeonjun observed his surroundings, and warily into the break of the night, he could only smell remnants of a scout. Even when the presence had already gone away, his head stayed low defensively, snapping his teeth in every direction where he could hear a sound. He couldn't calm himself down.

Within a matter of moments, his world has already fallen apart.

His eyes darted to Soobin.

_They found him_.

⚜

Soobin immediately brought Yeonjun back to the castle as he laid him next to his dragonpit.  
His whole body felt sore, especially his feet and his back.

Yeonjun looked at him with faint eyes before he turned his head away again and whimpered. They had encountered an Eslivirian scout from the kingdom no doubt. He should have sensed his presence from a distance away. He let his guard down for too long. 

He should’ve..

It’s too late now.

Yeonjun was enraged with himself.

When did he become so weak? This wasn’t like him. He tried to stand back up, uneasy. 

"You're wound!" Soobin exclaimed as he made him lay down against his bed. He immediately placed dried wild icary on his wounds.

“They’re going after us.” Yeonjun grouched, wincing slightly as he held down his shoulders through the pain.

"You need to rest!"

"We have.." Yeonjun whispered, scrambling to sit up as he kept himself awake, his eyes staring straight at the prince. "We have to go."

Soobin could not hear anything as Yeonjun’s voice was tuned out by his fear. It was completely silent, and he could feel his hands trembling. In that moment, the prince became aware of his fate – of how he could not defy its string. He could not avoid the melancholy that would befall on their hands. 

"You have to let me go." 

Yeonjun’s eyes darted to him in surprise before his face had slowly fallen into despair by the outrageousness of the prince. He had not even dared to even think about it. "I.. don't want to." 

“Please.”

Yeonjun remained quiet, and shook his head. He bit his lips and looked to the far side of the room as if he had already been countered by defeat. 

He sighed. He had no choice left. He wanted to wait before doing this – even insisted that he would never even do it – but it was time. Soobin deserved to know. 

Soobin deserved to live.

Yeonjun stood up even with the cries of protest from the prince. He kneeled down to the floorboards of the bedchamber, unveiling a small compartment hidden cleverly under the carpet, and unhinged it from its wake. He took out a key from inside of it and held it out for the prince. "I am afraid that I cannot do that. I am never letting you go. I am doing this to protect you."

Soobin slowly took the key from his hands, "What is this?"

"The king and queen left me this. They ordered me to keep it hidden until you turned eighteen. They wanted me.. to give this to you."

Soobin looked up at him, his voice pitifully cracking, “W-where are they?”

"They're.." The drake lowered his head, "They're gone.”

Soobin’s face had turned into a frightening shade of purple. His mouth was opening silently, as if he was trying wretchedly to shout at him, but was unable to force any sound past the quiet tremble of his lips, and all he could do was cry.

"W-what?"

“They were burned.. by the hands of the current king on the throne, and there was a fire. I couldn’t do anything to save them and I—"

"No, wait, stop–" Soobin interrupted him, putting a hand in front of him, while clutching the windowsill from where he stood to support him as his knees weakened. He needed to breathe. He felt like he was being strangled.

“Your Highness, you are the only son of the former king and the rightful heir to the throne. You are to reclaim your right when you are of age. There never was any threat of banishment. They had to keep you safe and be kept in hiding from the consequence of the current Eslivirian king.”

“No, no. I don't want to hear this!"

“Your Highness, listen to me." Yeonjun held his shoulders, staring right into his eyes, "Find the hermit. He will help you in your way. I ought to be by your side until your coronation, but it has been proven difficult to do so as I may not be alive by then."

"Don't say that!" 

“We have yet to find out what had happened before the fire. It had eaten away everything on its path – you have to understand, we had just seen our kingdom burn – and some of us suspected that there might be a traitor in our midst.”

“Us? What do you mean by us?” Soobin, at this point, was shaking.

“It was a dragon.” Yeonjun huffed, disheartened at his own word, “The fire came from a dragon’s ember.”

Soobin felt like he was being wretched from the inside out from what he was hearing. He couldn’t believe it. It was too much to bear. “You c-could’ve stopped it!”

“We start fires, but we can never end them.”

Soobin had already reached his breaking point, slapping his hand away from him. “Enough!”

Yeonjun flinched. He glanced disdainfully beneath him, and then turning back at the prince, bowing his head even lower as he clenched his teeth. "Your Highness."

"I need to be alone for a moment." said Soobin, quivering.

"Your Highness." Yeonjun called again.

"Yeonjun.” Soobin said, not meeting his gaze, “Please." 

Yeonjun realized that this was the first time that he said his name, and without another word, he let him go.

Soobin cried that night, after learning the truth of his parents' fate, and how cruel fate was even when they met with death. His hands were trembling as he stared at the key on his palm and the anguish was apparent on his face as he cried soundlessly.

It had been an hour since then. Soobin could not help but blame himself, and now, the sky had run red.

Soobin knew that the whole kingdom was looking for him even as they spoke. He looked back at Yeonjun who was waiting by his door for him to calm down.

"We have to leave." said Yeonjun, then approached towards the wardrobe. He pushed it to the side, revealing a secret passage behind it. "This is a hidden corridor leading to the dungeons. Below the dragonpit, there is a shaft leading you outside. You must leave there."

"I won't leave you."

"You Highness, please."

"I am not leaving you!" Soobin bellowed, "This is an order."

Yeonjun held his ground, “We don't have much time left."

But, they were already too late to run now.

There was smoke coming from beyond the woods, probably an hour's walk away, and if the both of them escaped now through foot, there's no telling how many scouts the kingdom had already sent to track them down, and fleeing through flight was even more dangerous.

However, Soobin would not risk himself being captured if he went alone. Yeonjun had no choice but to fight them head on to distract them while Soobin made his escape.

“You’re being outrageous!”

"I need to go." Yeonjun whispered, glancing back at him. 

"Dragon! I forbid you to!" shouted Soobin, thrashing his hands away from him, as Yeonjun held him close.

"I will protect you." Yeonjun kneeled down, reaching out for his hand, and left a kiss.

Soobin took him by the arm. In the dimness of the tower, he couldn’t really see him if it weren’t for his blazing eyes. "Dragon, please, you're wounded badly enough. I don't want them to hurt you anymore. You must give me up."

"I can't.” Yeonjun whispered in anguish, “There's no knowing what they will do to you."

“You think they would harm me?”

“I am not certain, Your Highness, but I would sooner not risk your person to learn the answer. I have given you my purest love, my devotion, and my entire life. It is my duty to protect you, whatever it takes, even if it takes me to my deathbed. I simply cannot let you go."

Soobin could not say anything as the tears on his eyes started to fall. Yeonjun had turned to his heel to leave when Soobin caught his wrists.

“Please..” He whimpered pitifully, “Don’t… go.”

Soobin caught him in an embrace, and leaned his head into his neck. Yeonjun carded his fingers through his hair, and whispered. 

“I will come back to you. In fate's timing, we will meet again.” Yeonjun swore, pulling away and staring at his eyes, “I promise you."

Soobin wanted to stop him. He was mostly babbling, never wanting to let the little space between them turn bigger than it already was. He tried everything, but even still, everything was not enough. With a broken whimper, he begged one last time. 

“Please!”

Please… stay. Please.. don’t leave me..

Far, far from the distance, Soobin heard trumpets. He ran and climbed up the windowsill, leaning over the edge, the wind gushing back his face as he slipped his hair under his ear.

"They're here." 

Soobin saw red banners dotting the land, knights marching in from the north like the footsteps of giants coming down from their beanstalks.

There was a kingsguard in the frontline who led the sentry, beaming his scarlet-white shield. He unsheathed his sword, and into the clang of metal, he shouted.

Then, Soobin heard a roar, and the next thing he knew, the dragon was already up in the air. He flew over the tower, and a hulking black shadow was already looming over them with wings spanned high as he contrasted the blood hour of the sky above him.

From the roar, the kingsmen unsheathed their swords like blind beggars, fumbling for their weapons. As their shields glinted in the sunlight, the knights charged. The cavalry rode into battle, raising their banners, and courage was a whisper of the past. Metal clashed with metal from the red emblemed shields of the knights, their sheen of iron proud of its wrath.

Soobin trembled as he watched Yeonjun fight them off, clawing them away from him; too near from the archers, too far from the dwelling of his safe return.

Shouts could be heard from the distance, even the sound of the dragon's roar shook the land of death and misery.

Yeonjun swooped down to the ground, grabbing some of the knights with his claws, disarming them of their weapons, and dropping them down as soon as they were disarmed.

All around him, people were screaming, and all Soobin could do was breathe. He looked back at the secret passage looming before him as if it was silently telling him to go.

Soobin had to escape now, he knew that but –

He quickly thundered towards the door. The brass doorknob was cold in his grasp as he wiggled it experimentally. It had been barred, locked from the outside. Soobin swiftly started slamming his body against the door in an attempt to break it down. 

Soobin looked back outside. He saw a spray of crossbow bolts that went flying through the air. Yeonjun swooped down into the arrow-storm, unforgiving in his rage, yielding not for the knights in armor, but seeking only to burn the ground ablaze. He burned down the carts and catapults, encircling them in a reign of hellfire. 

Soobin, on top of the darkwater castle, was still plunging towards the door. 

At full tilt, he was slammed to the ground when the door did not budge and he fell to his back from the impact. Groaning, his eyes flew to the secret passage. Soobin had a path before him that had already sealed his fate, and yet, this was not what he had chosen. 

He decided his own fate.

He anchored himself down, and bolted towards the wooden door, finally budging through.

And so he went, down the winding stairs, passing each dimly-lit landing and progressing further down. His voice was unfurling in shaky breaths as he glanced down at the windows to find the dragon still on the ground, fending off the kingsguards.

"Yeonjun!" Soobin reached the bottom of the foyer, dawning down to the bridgeroom to lower the drawbridge. 

Soobin tried pulling down the lever but with its heavy weight, it did not budge. Soobin took a steel rod lying there and anchored it in a way he could use his whole strength with, and it did. The portcullis was lifting and the drawbridge had started to descend. Soobin bolted out of the bridgeroom to run off to where Yeonjun was when his face had suddenly turned pale from the sight before him.

He came face to face with the knight that led the sentry earlier. He dismounted from the horse and drew his sword back to his scabbard.

"Your Highness, I am one of the knights sent to rescue you under the king's orders."

Soobin took no notice of him not until when he was grabbed by the arm, "Unhand me."

"Your Highness, we must get out of here."

Soobin snapped his head to where he heard the dragon roar.

"You have to stop this! Spare the dragon. He means no harm!" Soobin cried, but he was being roughly pulled towards the stallion, "No, wait, please!"

"Crown prince, you are facing such terrible peril that you have not the slightest knowledge about. I will explain on the way. We need to get out of here first before it finds us." said the kingsguard, and called out to his men who gathered by his side, "Prepare for retreat!"

"You need to order them to stop this!" Soobin pleaded, "I have to see him!"

The knight suddenly heard a roar from behind him, startling him out of his terror. 

Then, there it was. They were already too late. The dragon was already inside the castle, and the drawbridge had been burned down to ashes, leaving no room for them to leave. Across the pit, Yeonjun's wings unfolded, stirring the stale air. Yeonjun felt like he almost crawled out of his own skin when he saw Soobin there.

His fire licked along the walls, burning and bleaching, and he felt the heat on his feet. The air smelled of sulfur and charred smoke. His intense eyes casted a dragon-spell that made his enemies wish to surrender, stirring close to the knight who was holding the prince hostage.

The kingsguard unsheathed his blade and drew closer to him with the sword in hand, and then, he charged.

Yeonjun stood his ground, his roar rattling through the castle walls. The knight leapt at him with all his might. Yeonjun breathed blistering flames towards the knight to keep him away, but he only shielded it with his bulwark. The dragon exhaled and exhaled fire at him, knocking him down which forced the knight to let go of his shield during the thick battle and he leapt away from the extant flames.

Yeonjun vaulted towards him to disarm the knight of his sword, but the knight twisted on his heel and sidestepped before slashing forward and burying his sword into the back of the dragon’s wing. The knight withdrew his sword and black draconian blood dripped from his blade as it horrifyingly spattered down on the cobblestone floor.

Yeonjun, groaning from the pain, retreated and took flight. The knight took a stumbling step backwards, and lashed out. "Bows ready!"

Then, three white horses with riders cantered to ambush the centerpiece and the dragon charged towards them in his crackling embers. The archers took this chance to stand down and ready their crossbows.

When Yeonjun roared, a gout of yellow flame burst from within him and the interior of the castle had caught into flames. 

The knights cried into battle. Their shouts of valor were rammed back down their throats as Yeonjun barreled the strength of his wings on them. The knights were blown away, some had run off and some had stood up. 

"Release!"

At the signal, the archers lifted their crossbows and with a cry, they released them all at once. In the storm, stray arrows found its way into the creature’s body. Flames roared up from his mouth with a great breakage like thunderstruck. 

“Unhand me!” Through the tumult, Soobin cries were the loudest ones that echoed. “Spare him! I will go with you if that is what you wish, but I beg of you, spare him, please!’

Arrow after arrow, they had struck against him without relent. Soobin could not do anything but watch as the knight took one of the bows from his men and pulled it back, the tip of his arrow following the winged dragon on his path, ready to aim.

"No– please!"

He shot his wing, then pulled back another bolt, and then, he shot again.

"No!"

It all seemed to stop in seconds. The world seemed to spin in slow motion as the arrow shot through his heart. The winged dragon fell to the ground, and like the roars of the creature and the echoes in his ears, Soobin screamed. 

“Unhand me!” Soobin cried, thrashing from the kingsguard’s grasp. His arms and legs had outflung wildly as he tried to break away from their hold. He pulled and pulled, pleading uncontrollably until they let him go.

“No, no, no!” Soobin broke in anguish as he ran towards the dragon. He held out his wings where wounds had been tallied up, looking at Yeonjun from where little smoke rose from between his teeth. 

"Yeonjun! Please!" He tried to push the creature back to his dragonpit, near the heat of his life, but he didn't budge. He wasn't moving. He wasn't moving at all. "Wake up!" 

"Your Highness." said the kingsguard, holding unto his arm, "It's dangerous. We need to go!" 

Soobin roared all his emotions as his eyes clambered over his wake, "Leave me!'

"Your Highness." He continued to peer on.

Soobin has had enough. 

He slapped his hand away, and spat at them, dripping venom by the tip of his tongue as he released his anger. “You’ve betrayed me — all of you! I beg to differ now why I should trust any of you lot! You killed your king! You murdered my father!” 

He went into pathetic, broken sobs, tormenting him from the back of his head, and then back again to where he could not do anything but babble incoherent sentences. He couldn't breathe properly, couldn't think properly. Everything around him was spiraling, spiraling into an endless pit of chaos.

“We did not.” The knight pressed, leaning his face toward him, but he wasn’t certain if the prince would listen to him otherwise. He narrowed his eyes, almost glaring as he pointed out, “They're lying to you."

Soobin stepped back. His head was spinning and it was as if the world was also spinning around him. So many lies and possible lies. His eyes widened as it held disbelief and anger all swirling into a storm inside of him and he could feel a lump growing on his throat that made him unable to speak. He wanted to scream, to curse them to eternal despair as they blatantly lied in front of him.

“How c-could you!” Soobin crumpled into himself, his voice was tearing apart as he sobbed. The shadows behind him grew as the flames that surrounded them started towering over them, catching the castle walls into a clamor of firestorm. The flames grew and grew until they everything had turned red. "He was your king!"

“No, Your Highness, you don’t understand. He had many enemies. During the reign of your father, he only brought terror, and he used the dragons and the destruction that they brought to shed fear. Your father was a mad king. He and his dragons started the fire.”

“You’re lying!”

The knight held Soobin by the shoulders, looking straight into his eyes, “Don’t you realize? Why do you think they locked you away in this tower?”

Soobin could only stare at him, dumbfounded. He couldn’t understand anything, couldn’t hear anything, and everything, everything was —

“They kept you hidden to keep you from ever learning the truth.” The knight whispered, the flames behind him burning with more fervor than fleur-de-lis.

Soobin’s eyes flew towards the dragon who was barely moving as he laid on the ground. His mouth open in despair. The gashes on the back of his head, the mucky scratches covering his feet, and the burning cuts on his hands panged.

"We came to save you." 

Suddenly, Soobin unsheathed the sword lying on the ground and pointed it towards the knight. He could not feel anything but the dread that ran cold down to his toes. He was trembling in fear, but he kept his stance wide.

"Get away from him!" Soobin dawned, hand steady on his sword. He could taste it as he held it against his mouth—it tasted of bitterness, of death, and of war— and on its other end was whom he believed to be the bringer of his fate.

"Your Highness, w-what are you doing?" The knight shrouded, stepping a foot forward in confusion, which only spurred him on to get closer to the serpent.

"I said, get away from him!" Soobin threatened. It took everything he had to keep tears spilling down his face as his fingers quivered on the handle with every movement the kingsguard made.

He didn't want this. He wanted to be happy. He already had freedom from his grasp, and it only took them a moment before it had slipped away.

Soobin... just wanted to be free.

"Stand back!" He shouted, clamoring as he held his sword high.

The knights slowly retreated and Soobin was left to drown in his misery. He dropped the sword from his hands and shuffled next to the drake.

"Yeonjun!" His voice was muffled by the quagmire of his cries, “Yeonjun, please!" 

He tried pushing the creature back to the conflagration, but he did not move, not even a centimeter. Soobin held his head against the drake’s chest. He was barely breathing. Soobin ran towards the dragonpit. He tried to carry the coal with his chilblain palms, scrambling it to the floor beside the creature. The heat was painful on his hands but the pain on his heart was even greater. 

"Wake up!" 

Soobin made him try to meet the solemn eyes looking down at him, but couldn't. Soobin drew in a shuddering breath, and from his eyes, his tears fell. Yeonjun weakly sprawled out his wing, and he let Soobin come close into his body beneath him, curling himself with his tail, and about him on all sides. Soobin’s tears evaporated against the heat of his skaled skin and his mouth opened and closed, knowing that if he spoke any more he would cry out his terror. 

"Please! Please!" Soobin pleaded, his voice echoing through the castle walls, "You can't go! I forbid you to!”

Soobin watched as Yeonjun went cold and his flames were low in his slumber. Soobin grasped tightly on his body, afraid to see him like this, afraid to let go. He watched as the faintest hint of smoke trickling from his nostrils had disappeared, and then the dragon closed his eyes, slowly, and slowly, until all of it was gone. 

Soobin stopped dead on his tracks. 

He was unable to make a sound as his hands caressed the dragon in his arms. Soobin could feel it.

Yeonjun was not breathing anymore. 

Even from his nostrils, there was nothing, not even a wisp of smoke, not even a wick of flame. Soobin pulled away. His eyes must be deceiving him. He felt dizzy and he knows he’s thinking about the many choices that he had made, leading him here, to this moment — leading him to their fate — a fate he was unable to turn back to.

Soon, shadows eclipse over him, and before he knew it, he was selfishly dragged away by the kingsmen as he let his sorrowful wish succumb to his last thoughts of terror. The castle was crumbling down and the fire around them had spread its reach, spearing the entire black sky. Soobin tried to crawl away from their hold, but couldn't find the strength to - his body had become numb now, and he couldn’t think, he couldn’t breathe.

This was how his world ended right before his very eyes.

Soobin remembers the fire, the searing heat of the burn, and the gentle caresses of the flame licking over his skin, but he could never forget how that fire slowly disappeared, and eventually, how it died out. 

He could smell white lilies burning. 

He could smell them burning down into ashes, and most of all, he could smell death.

It was hard to see. Everything was becoming dark and blurry as the castle slowly crumbled down into stone, and the fire burned through everything, leaving nothing but ruins in its path. Soobin could feel the flames burning into him, but what is there to live for now? Soobin tried to reach out to him, to come back for him, to say his name.

The dragon lies still as the dead.

Soobin couldn't do anything to save him. Yeonjun kept him as his only treasure, never to be found by others, hidden away from knights and men, and that was what he believed. Half the world away, Soobin wonders what would have happened if he had chosen differently, if anything would have played out differently if he had escaped through the hidden passage instead. He wondered if the fate he had chosen for himself had been right.

In the end, he was wrong.

A king he wanted to become, and a king he was destined to be, but the dream was burned down before him, and the throne will be nothing more than an empty vessel of the deaths he lay rested on, and his crown of burned bones will rest on quicksand his entire life. Soobin lost his only love, and there was nothing he could do to change it. He could feel the sole reason to continue living slipping away from his grasp as if fate had destined it to be.

After all, there simply was no happily ever after. Fairytales were not real, and freedom was only a figment of his imagination.

He thought that he had courage, but courage had only led him to a mistake he could never undo. 

Soobin fell down to his knees as he kept on smashing the ground until his hands had bled. He screamed and screamed but there was no one there to grant him his pleas. He cursed them, and cursed everything in his anguish, and he cried into the terror of the night. He would rather die than rule a kingdom of ruins without the firebreather by his side.

Then, the fire died.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> If anyone wants to make a fan art for this story, feel free to message me and let me know! We'll collab and embed your art here so that I can tag you!
> 
> [my twitter ](https://twitter.com/tdctracy?s=09)
> 
> I hope you liked it! Leave me a comment if you'd like!
> 
> You can check out my Taegyu Dark Fantasy fic "Witchlands" [here. ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28907178)


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